(It’s Not What You Think It Is)

Body Language of a Con. Dr. Milton Erickson was the first to really lean into the study of human behavior as it relates to the interactions that create what he coined “Matching and Mirroring”. If you’ll observe best friends, family members, and even people who really admire each other but are just meeting for the first time, you’ll notice they will match and mirror each other.

A Potent Technique

This is a technique you can use not only when looking for the body language of a con and in meetings you can use it at home as well. The con man, grifter, confidence man, confidence woman use this technique from the moment you get near them. It makes you feel more relaxed and less wary around them. Especially when your money, property, or deal is involved.

Learn about matching and mirroring and keep an eye out for someone using to soon when talking to you. Especially someone you don’t know.

As a human behavior analyst and Body Language Expert, Scott Rouse holds multiple certificates in advanced interrogation training and has been trained along side the FBI, Secret Service, U.S. Military Intelligence, and the Department of Defense.

His extensive training, education, and practice of nonverbal communication has made him an expert and consultant to law enforcement as well as Fortune 100 companies, CEO’s, attorneys, executives, and entertainers. Scott is also a multi Grammy Nominated Producer and TEDx Speaker.

Fake won’t stick. In negotiations, interrogations, heated discussions, and business meetings, you see a myriad of emotions expressed. One of the key indicators of an insincere emotion in these situations is the length of time the facial expression of the emotion is displayed. In other words I like to say “Fake won’t stick”.

For example, if you ask a question and the person you’re asking smiles while answering and the smile goes away very quickly, that suggests the person may not be as honest about their feelings toward the answer as they would want you to believe…

Is your gift a hit? Their body language will tell you. You thought you had all your gift shopping done. So you head out to the Christmas party. Half way there, you realize you forgot to get one of your best friends a gift. You stop at the mall, run in and choose something you think they’ll like. They wrap it for you and you make it to the party just in time.

Just as you walk in, the friend you bought the gift for walks up and says “Hey, I’ve got something for you” and hands you a present. You take it and say “Thanks, I got you a little something too” as you hand over your present.